Our tribute to he who would be king of Bears

In American football, as far as running backs are concerned, very few names and even fewer legacies stand as tall as that of Walter Payton’s.  Payton has topped many of American football’s greatest running back lists for good reason.  He was also known to be quite the gentle soul in real life, and beloved by everyone who knew him.

Image source: timetoast.com

But Walter Payton didn’t start out as popular as he was.  His youth saw the foundations poured on his solid character, which was where all his other strengths branched out from.

Walter Payton was born on July 25, 1954.  He always loved football, but didn’t join his high school team so as not to take the spotlight away from his older brother Eddie.  Instead Payton ran for the track team.  Young Walter then joined the team right after Eddie graduated, and almost instantly became its driving force.  He was simply faster and stronger than everyone else.

Walter Payton went on to achieve more in college playing for Jackson State University.  Along with future greats Jerome Barkum and Jackie Slater, Payton wreaked havoc on opposing team’s defenses.  This was the most successful Tigers line-up in history.

Image source: Muthead.com

With all his achievements, the one that truly foretold of Payton’s future magnificence was his seven touchdowns in a single game in 1972.

Hey, there. I’m James DeVellis, a student from Arizona majoring in Sports Business. I’m interested in sharing my musings and insights on professional sports. For more of my posts, visit this blog.